CHAPTER 54: A BLADE IN THE DARK


"… we drink to our youth, to days come and gone, for the age of oppression is just about done. We'll drive out the Empire from this land that we own, with our blood and our steel we'll take back our home..."

On the lead of a bright-voiced bard, a group of drunken soldiers joined the song in the corner table of Bee and Barb's common hall. Nords, all of them, clad in blue Stormcloak cuirasses and tattered cloaks; the few ones who had returned from Whiterun's failed siege. Now they tried to lift their sullen moods, but the way their voices cracked under the weight of grief told that the attempt was just as desperate as their effort for taking the city had been.

Lucy leaned on Natsu's side as they sat on a long bench on the other side of the tavern. They hadn't spoken a word to each other since the soldiers had stepped in. They were waiting for Gildarts to come and share his plans about tomorrow's departure, but the older mage seemed to have forgotten the meeting. Silently, they had enjoyed their spiced meads and listened to the stories those soldiers exchanged with other patrons of the inn.

Many conversations filled the heavy air. There were veterans from the Great War bragging about how many elves they had killed in the fields of Bravil. A few widowers wished to know how their husbands had died. One young boy told them that he wanted to be a soldier, too. A hero. You'll grow out of it, was the soldier's response.

"… but this land is ours and we'll see it wiped clean from the scourge that has sullied our hopes and our dreams! All hail Ulfric! You are the High King! In your great honour, we drink and we sing…"

The sun had already set, but Bee and Barb was surprisingly empty compared to the previous nights. Usually, the common folk of the town gathered in the main hall to dine on some delicious stew after a long day at work, but today, the people were elsewhere. In addition to those two tired mages, only the loud lout of soldiers and their acquaintances resided there tonight. Perhaps they were the reason why the people were gone. The Stormcloaks weren't heroes in their eyes anymore, maybe never were. Ulfric had lost his honour the day he forced brothers against each other at the gates of Whiterun.

But for now, they sang. The stories had been told, there was nothing left to say. It was all the same bloodshed, same carnage. Upon common agreement, they tossed a coin to the bard and requested 'an ode to Skyrim's true sons and daughters', to Stormcloaks, to themselves. Lucy found it ironic. The song wasn't even an ode. It was a dirge, the final hymn of a soldier who knew the war was already lost.

"…we are the children of Skyrim, and we fight all our lives! And when Sovngarde beckons, every one of us dies!"

The song came to an end, silence falling as bitterly as their defeat. Their frustration was tangible. They had gotten so close to victory – the gates had been already breached when the Companions joined the fray and turned the tides. From other sources, Lucy had heard that a mighty wizard had stood amongst them and destroyed most of the Stormcloak catapults with his magic, and that one had to be Jellal. A wizard he was not, just an undercover assassin with powerful staves, a liar, and Lucy felt sick in her stomach to hear him praised as a saviour of Whiterun.

How could a man so twisted and evil be a hero? Lucy had been wondering that lately. Since learning the truth about him, she had put together the pieces of his story. With bright eyes, Erza had fed those lies to Lucy, taken advantage of the naïve nature she was quickly growing out of, but now she could finally see right past them. She knew that Jellal had pushed his father, the sole survivor of Rorikstead's destruction, down from the balcony of Dragonsreach just to keep his secrets sealed. Such a monstrous act couldn't be forgiven.

Erza had also been named as a hero of Whiterun, the Scarlet Despair, but was she nothing more than another liar when she allowed that to happen? She witnessed the evil take its course, did nothing to stop it, and therefore, she partook in it.

Maybe, that's what a hero was: a merciless, cold-hearted killer, rotten to the core – but just on the lucky side of the victors.

Lucy's thoughts were cut when one of the soldiers raised his cup into the air. "For our fallen comrades! For our brothers who didn't make it back home!" he shouted, and other glasses rose towards the ceiling too. Faintly, from the distance, Lucy lifted her cup as well – almost as a gesture of mockery.

The soldier took a breath, then continued, even louder than before. "We might've lost this time, but for the sake of the friends we watched die, we can't give up now! We have to keep fighting for our land's freedom! Ulfric will gather his strength and strike back with full force, and then, we'll win!" Mead spilt as he shook his arm. "For Skyrim!"

"For Skyrim!" the choir of his companions answered, and then they clashed their cups.

In a certain way, Lucy adored their spirit, but despised it at the same time. Ulfric Stormcloak's charm had sunk to them like a hot knife into the butter. They truly believed they were fighting for a noble cause, the liberation of Skyrim, the beautiful and harsh homeland of all Nords, yet they couldn't see they were just tearing the country apart. They'd have to set aside their differences and combine their strength, or they wouldn't stand a chance against the true enemy which was neither the Empire nor the Thalmor, but Alduin the World-Eater.

In the real war, the one that was just beginning, men and mer and beasts would face a crushing battle against the dragons. And Lucy had come to realise that when that time would come, the Dragonborn could no longer stand in the shadows. Tiber Septim once united the nations of Tamriel, and following the footsteps of the Dragon of the North, Lucy would have to be the one to lead them towards the victory of mankind.

That was her destiny, she finally saw it. She'd be the saviour who'd free them all from Alduin's rage, but would she die as a hero, or live long enough to see herself becoming a villain? That was yet to see.

In order to grow strong enough to defeat the greatest evil, she'd have to leave behind her lies and fantasies, strip off the masks that concealed her true power. She'd have to make many harsh decisions, many sacrifices, for that was the price one had to pay for peace. And as they had been sitting in the common hall of Bee and Barb, Lucy had been planning on something she had thought she'd never have to plan. She couldn't speak about it, not even to Natsu, for no one ever planned murder out loud.

She had decided that Grelod the Kind had to die.

The moral lines Lucy had abided by so far couldn't release the cruel crone from taking responsibility for the terrible things she had done to those innocent children. Kill or be killed, that's the thought Lucy leant to whenever she had taken a life, how she erased the guilt. But this time, the thought of taking the life of someone who wasn't going to take hers didn't cause her a crumb of guilt. Instead, the thought of letting the Grelod live felt more wrong than the thought of killing her.

For decades, Grelod had been abusing children in her orphanage, and no one had the guts to put that to an end. That alone was infuriating, and Lucy, swearing on her honour, couldn't walk out of the city after witnessing the abuse with her own eyes. That way, she'd just partake in the evil, just as Erza did with Jellal, looking his crimes through her fingers. She couldn't just leave it behind, pretending she'd never seen or heard it. She was supposed to purge this land from all evil, even if it meant shedding blood for the sake of the greater good.

And now, she had perfected her plan.

Earlier today, when they had visited Honorhall, she had been still unsure about what to do. When she had heard Grelod slap the poor boy in the face and seen Constance standing there doing nothing, she had made her decision. Grelod would meet her end, and Lucy would be the one to deliver it. Perhaps that ought to make her feel something, but it didn't. Calm and cold in the heart, she had just begun to make preparations for her first murder.

When Natsu had asked her what she had done, Lucy had only told him half of the truth. She told him that she incapacitated Grelod the Kind's mental defences with the help of Fear spell. That had been her first time using that type of Illusion magic, but it had been rather easy. In that stage, Grelod just wept and nodded when Lucy accused her of every dreadful thing she had ever done. Now the old crone would beg for the gods' forgiveness and atone for her sins, change her ways for good… or so Natsu believed. Yes, Grelod would atone, and very soon… in the Void.

Their visit to the orphanage had been just the first step. Now, Lucy knew what the orphanage was like – how to get in, and how to sneak out. Even if she was going to kill an abusive headmistress that the whole city knew to be the cruellest woman in Skyrim, Grelod was still protected by the law. Lucy couldn't risk getting caught. She had to remain undetected and make it not look like a murder. Grelod's body was bound to be found, probably the very next morning, and Lucy knew how she wouldn't be tied to the crime.

She'd make it look like Grelod did it herself.

Lucy stared down at the empty bowl in front of her. While she had been eating the tasty fish soup the Argonian innkeeper had cooked, the idea had popped into her head as it had been gifted from Sithis himself. The Fear spell would wear off within a day, but she could still make use of it, twist her mind a little more. Combining her skills of speech and arcane knowledge, Lucy would manipulate Grelod the Kind to pour her every sin down to the paper with a false claim of not being able to take the regret anymore. The note would reveal her 'suicidal intentions' to whoever would find her corpse.

There were many ways to deliver the final blow, almost too many to choose. Should she slit her throat or hang her from the chandelier? Those were good options, but Lucy had decided to keep her hands clean this time. She would cast a spell of self-inflicted fury on Grelod, and then she'd only have to step back and behold her handiwork. Grelod had a dagger in the drawer box of her nightstand – what an irony would it be to watch Grelod end herself with the weapon she had meant for self-defence. When the blood would flow, Lucy would vanish back into the night, and there would be one devil less in the world.

The only problem was Natsu.

Even though the fire mage had seen how the children were treated in Honorhall, Lucy knew he'd oppose the thought of killing Grelod. He believed Lucy could solve the situation without staining her hands in blood – and in fact, she would. However, the thing he feared more than her getting caught by city guards was the Dark Brotherhood. He would never let her step into that territory. The Black Sacrament had been performed. Grelod was the Brotherhood's contract, not hers, but since she was still alive, it seemed that the assassins were doing their job poorly.

Back then, Natsu had driven himself to the verge of madness when he thought that the elven assassin had been after them because they accepted the contract. At that time, it had made perfect sense. He had connected the false dots, yet it had still been true to him for a long time. He hadn't slept in days, had barely spoken to her, and she, too, had felt that guilt deep in her bones. They both had believed it happened to them because she'd talked to that tormented boy. In reality, it had been Jellal's doing all along.

Right now, it seemed that the Dark Brotherhood didn't even know they had accepted the contract. There was no real danger in killing Grelod, Lucy knew, but she also knew that Natsu would be driven past the edge of his sanity if he'd know she was going to kill her. That's why Natsu couldn't know about it. She had made up her mind, and she wouldn't be stopped.

Preferably, he'd never find out at all.

Through a thin veil of smoke, Lucy could see her reflection from the darkened window, candles fluttering on the empty tables around her. Natsu seemed to be half-asleep, his head resting against hers with his eyes closed. He was so tired all the time, and Lucy knew it was mostly her fault. She was keeping him awake at night, drowning in him heated kisses before he drowned in his worries. He sensed the change in her, it made him uneasy, yet he had failed to understand that this was her destiny. A path she was meant to walk. She had to leave behind parts of her that had become dead weight, and Natsu couldn't keep clinging to them.

Perhaps, in his own way, Natsu was trying to salvage those parts. Lucy understood that – of course, in the ideal world, the hero would be kind, warm, empathic, and righteous. Someone who would always make the right choice, representing everything one should strive to be. Lucy had once believed that, too, but it had been only an illusion. Believing she should always be good had kept her weak, kept her from achieving her true power as a Dragonborn. Dragons didn't care if they were good or bad. To be able to fight them, she had to adopt the same mentality, fight fire with fire.

She had learnt this from the First Dragonborn himself.

In last night's dream, Lucy had been able to reach the place where the dead dragons dwelled, but to her surprise, that was only connected to her soul, not an actual part of it. She couldn't fully understand it yet – after all, it had been a dream, and dreams seldom were straightforward to interpret – but she had come to contact with the first one to ever bear Dragonblood within themselves. It had been real. She could still remember his voice, feel it in her bones, for he was alive, existing, just not within this plane. And from him, she had learned her most important lesson yet.

The power of the dragons, the aspect of their life and strength, had been within her reach all the time. She was a dragon. She was born from one, yet stuck in the body of a mortal. All dragons originated from Alduin, and Alduin originated from Akatosh, the Dragon God of Time, but Akatosh was also the one who created the Dragonborn from the fragments of his divine soul. Both Alduin and the Dragonborn were aspects of Akatosh. They stood on the same line, not as opposites, but as reflections of each other, as two sides of the same fate. Like light and darkness, they were one.

'You are a dragon, Lucy Heartfilia. Now it's the time to be a dragon.'

The words were still echoing in her head as Lucy turned her eyes to the doors, hearing them open. For the entire evening, they had waited for Gildarts to arrive, but it seemed they'd have to wait a moment more. Even sleepy Natsu raised his head, only to lower it back against Lucy's when only Gajeel and Juvia stepped in. The towering tall vampire stopped by the door and kept it open a little bit longer, and soon the sound of wooden crutches clanking on the floor followed. Lucy chuckled when she heard Loke's voice from afar, the boy shouting thanks to Gajeel for keeping the door for his brother.

Well, it seemed they'd have some company for their last night in Riften – and that wasn't bad for Lucy's plans. Not at all. Perhaps a little brawl with a certain gingerhead would keep Natsu busy while she'd 'go to bed early' or 'sneak outside to catch fresh air'. She'd be back before he'd even realise she was gone.

"Well, well, what do we have here, the Halfling and the Maiden," said Gajeel, his voice roaring in the hall as he walked to Natsu and Lucy. "We just heard you're about to leave Riften tomorrow. Is that true?"

One could expect that thieves and outlaws couldn't just waltz into the tavern like they owned the place, but members and associates of the Thieves Guild spent a lot of time in Bee and Barb. It was one of their places to handle their businesses, and Lucy suspected that the Argonian innkeeper was in the Guild's payroll. The innkeeper just briefly raised her eyes from the mug she was cleaning, then continued her work like she didn't even notice their arrival.

"Gildarts told you?" Natsu asked, rubbing the sleepiness from his eyes. There was disappointment in his tone, as his plans for going to bed early were demolished.

"Yeah, he did. You're probably waiting for him, but he's… otherwise occupied at the moment."

"With Brynjolf," Haming commented as he took a seat on the nearby table.

"What!?" Lucy laughed.

"Naughty girl, what did you think? Arranging businesses, running errands, that kinds of things. He'll come around eventually, but until that, we'll keep you company tonight," Gajeel said. "I had a few more things I wanted to discuss with the Halfling."

Quizzically, Natsu lifted his brows. "Well, what is it?"

"I've heard something happened in Morthal, right, when you were transformed? I want to know what's going on in there," Gajeel asked, and Natsu nodded. "And the ginger bitch had something to say, too."

"To me?"

"No, moron. To Luce," Loke said, turning his eyes to her. Shyly, he stood behind his brother, holding onto the chair's backrest. "Can I… borrow you for a moment?"

Somehow, Lucy knew what Loke wanted this time. He and the others had probably overheard Gildarts talking about their departure, and now he had to hurry to make amends. There had been tension between her and Loke since they found each other alive. Such things would often become haunting if they were left unresolved. However, Natsu didn't seem to appreciate Loke's effort in repairing an old friendship. If glares could kill, Loke would be dead.

"Don't worry, it's my duty as his big brother to cram my crutches up to his arse if he touches her in any way,' Haming stated with a wide grin, and interrupted Natsu before he could even answer. "Yeah, you have that look in your eyes that you really want to burn this idiot alive, but –"

Because Lucy had better things to do than witness some jealousy-infused bickering, she stood up and walked to Loke, feeling Natsu's surprised gaze following her. "Sure, let's talk," she told to her old friend and glanced over her shoulder. "I'll be back soon enough."

Thankfully, Gajeel took a catch of the situation, a discreet man as he was. Quickly he distracted the fire mage by asking him about Morthal's vampire incident, and so Lucy followed Loke to the alcove where the stairway began. When they stopped, Loke was silent, his smile was gone. Such a rare sight.

"What is it, Loke?" Lucy asked.

Loke let out a long sigh. "I'm… sorry."

Lucy studied his grim face as he leant his back on the wall that separated the stairs from the tavern. Loke had changed so much, grown in this short time they had been apart that she barely recognised him anymore. Somehow, Lucy sensed that the feeling was mutual.

"Why?"

"Well, for… Eh, for fuck's sake, you know why I'm sorry," he muttered, so quiet she could barely hear it over the ruckus from the tavern's side. "I'm such a fool. First I was so happy to find you alive, but then I realised that you're… with…"

Lucy lifted a brow and boldly finished what he was unable to say from his stutter. "…that I'm with another man, and you decided to act like I don't exist because you wanted to make me your wife? Yeah, I get it, Loke. You're pissed."

Loke's lips pressed into a thin line. "I didn't mean to, but…" he began, but swallowed his words. "Nevermind that, but when I heard you're leaving back to Winterhold, I just wanted to settle everything with you. Don't wanna leave a bitter taste, you know?"

Lucy nodded. So, everyone thought they were returning to the College? Perhaps that was for the best. "Go on."

Loke looked into her eyes. A faint smile crossed his face, but it was quickly gone. "Listen, I… I'm glad you're alive, and I'm happy if you're happy. You always wanted to be a mage, after all. It's great that you can finally follow your dreams, Luce." He lowered his gaze into his burned hands, white scars adorning his skin. "But we'll always be friends, right?"

For all the years Lucy had known him, she had never heard him opening up about his feelings. That was the way of the Nord men. They were as cold as the land itself, but now, there was warmth in Loke's presence. A genuine wish with no ulterior motives, and that moved Lucy's heart.

"Yeah," she said and smiled. "Of course."

Loke chuckled, not letting the silence linger for too long. "Anyway, I've got something for you." He put his hand into his pocket, then pulled it back, a little chain hanging from his fingers. "Here."

Lucy blinked. It was a thin, golden bracelet with a little key-shaped charm, enchanted with strong magic. Foreign smithing, for Nordic jewellery was far too rough compared to these smooth, delicate shapes. Torchlight from the walls reflected on its surface, giving it a soft star-like sparkle. Loke gave it to her, the chain falling on her open palm. "Is it…?" she started, then mouthed 'stolen'.

He shook his head. "Bought it with my own gold," Loke answered, but well, Lucy knew his own gold was made with thievery. "Madesi, the Argonian merchant I purchased this from, said that it's magical, but I can't really sense that. It's said to help open any lock in the world… at least if you know how to pick them."

Lucy snickered and placed the bracelet into her right wrist. It wasn't too tight or too loose, fitting her just perfectly. She turned her hand around to adore it. "Thank you. I really appreciate it."

There was sadness in Loke's eyes as he looked at her. The bracelet was a parting gift, they both knew, for there was no guarantee that they'd ever meet again. They could only hope for the best of luck, but Lucy feared that finding each other alive wouldn't happen twice.

Embracing the moment they had, Lucy flung her arms around her old best friend and closed her eyes. As a lumberjack's son, he still smelled of wood, the scent of pine logs seeped into him so thoroughly it could never be washed away.

Loke gave her a strong pat on the back, then squeezed her tight before letting go. "You're always welcome here in Riften, remember that. The fire mage is, too," Loke said, no bitterness in his tone. He grinned slightly. "But if he isn't good for you or breaks your heart, I'm going to come and kill him, okay?"

Lucy chuckled. "I don't think he'd die so easily. A dragon saved his life when he had his head on a block, after all. Insane luck, isn't it?"

"Yeah, lucky man indeed."

They stood there in silence for a moment, both gazing at their feet. Lucy fiddled the bracelet around her wrist, felt the shape of the key with her fingertips. How ironic it was that she was soon going to break into the orphanage and kill the headmistress. The usefulness of Loke's gift would be tested in action right away. And then, Lucy realised how she could use Loke's presence here in her favour a little bit more.

"So, good luck to you, Luce. May the gods watch over your battles," Loke said then, breaking the silence, as if sensing they had to get back to others soon before it would get suspicious. "If you ever need something, you know where to find me."

Lucy raised her eyes from the golden key to him.

"Actually… there is something you could do for me," she whispered.

Even if Loke hadn't expected her to ask something so soon, he still nodded and listened. "Of course, what is it?"

"Would you like to brawl with Natsu tonight?" she asked, and when Loke gave her a quizzical stare, she continued. "I think you two have some things to settle, too. Letting that steam out would be good for the both of you."

Loke chuckled, scratching the back of his head. "Well… yeah, you're right, but why would you –"

"I just need to have a moment on my own before we go, okay? Keep him entertained for a while." She didn't exactly want to know what Loke believed her 'moment alone' would mean, but he surely had no idea of the truth. Let the fool have his beliefs. "Can you do that?"

He nodded, grinning. "You should know that getting into brawls is somewhat a speciality of mine, so yeah, sure. Is that all?"

"That is all."

"Should I provoke him somehow?"

"Tell him that you stole my first kiss last summer, that'll probably provoke him enough."

"Well, on a second thought, I like living…"

Lucy laughed. "Seriously, I don't care what you do, as long as you make sure he stays in the tavern until I get back. Speak with him or brawl with him, that doesn't matter. But don't challenge him into a drinking game. He's had enough of those."

"I'll try my best," Loke agreed, then peeked past the wall to the smoky common hall. Natsu was still talking with Gajeel, Lucy could hear the vampire's voice over the noisy soldiers. "But first, I need a drink. I'll get back to it in a moment."

Lucy let out an amused sigh when Loke walked to the bar as if he was satisfied with this chance to settle the score with the fire mage. Lucy was satisfied as well – everything was going just as she wanted. Ignorance was bliss, but Loke was so perfectly oblivious she felt almost guilty for lying to him. Only almost.

Quietly, she began heading towards the table she had been sitting at, but halted by the distance to hear what Natsu and Gajeel were talking about. From the vampire's laughter, Lucy assumed they no longer spoke about Morthal's menace.

"So… what the heck is moon time? That's been confusing me for five days now," Natsu asked, making Lucy cringe. "She won't tell me. Do they get some nightmares around the full moon or something?"

'Gods damn it, is he actually asking that?'

"You don't know, lad? Despite having been with a woman for… a while already?" Gajeel asked in return, and Natsu shook his head. "Well, women bleed once in a moon. Simple as that."

"Like… where?"

"Down there."

Natsu stared at the vampire with a blank face. "… what!?"

If Loke was an oblivious man, Natsu was surely another, just in a slightly different way. Lucy giggled into her sleeves. Observing his shock from the distance was amusing. She was glad she didn't have to be the one to tell that to him, and Gajeel had no shame in educating the poor boy. There was nothing to be embarrassed about for such a natural thing, but well, perhaps some vampiric preferences made it deathly awkward for Natsu to imagine.

"Yeah. It lasts for about five or seven days," Gajeel told.

"Y-you've gotta be kidding me," Natsu stuttered. "Nobody can bleed for seven days straight and not die."

"He's not kidding you. It's true," Juvia said, smiling. Natsu turned his widened eyes to her. "The womb shed its blood every now and then. That's a part of a woman's life."

Natsu's face went pale. "Oh gods… But doesn't that hurt?"

"Surely does, but you can alleviate the pain, if you catch my meaning, ha!" Gajeel laughed. "Don't spill a drop, brother."

Natsu buried his head into his hands. "Sheogorath's beard, that's just…" he muttered into his palms, but flinched when he sensed Lucy walking closer, lifted his face. In a split second, he realised she'd probably heard the whole discussion, and his cheeks turned from chalk white to bright red. "Lucy, why didn't you tell me? Have you been in pain all this time? How are you even alive!?"

Rubbing her forehead, she chuckled slightly and seated next to him. "Natsu –"

"That's serious!" he shrieked and turned towards Gajeel. "And you sick fuck are just… I don't know, fucking feeding on them when they're dying! You should be fetching them potions and… cast some healing spells to make it stop!"

"Natsu, women don't die to that, don't worry," Juvia consoled, hiding her laughter into her mead cup.

"But you'll die if you bleed for a whole damn week!"

Gajeel was unable to speak. The vampire shielded his face with his massive hand, his shoulders shaking as he laughed. Loke returned from the bar, placed his and his brother's drinks on the table, a confused look on his face. He wanted to know why they were all laughing.

"It's… it's not that much, usually," Lucy said, then she went awkward. That wasn't a topic she wanted to talk about around her old friends, but Natsu wouldn't stop worrying otherwise. "And I… haven't even had that since Helgen, so I'm okay."

A strange smirk appeared on Juvia's lips. The woman leaned towards Lucy and winked. "Are you perhaps with a child, miss Lucy?"

Out of her innocence, Juvia had only made it worse. Lucy buried her face into her hands, Natsu and Loke and Haming staring at her with utter shock in their eyes. She hadn't slept with any of them or anyone else either, but thanks to this messy confusion, now they probably thought she had.

"…what!?" Natsu exclaimed in terror. Lucy knew he wasn't one of those guys who thought girls got pregnant from holding a boy's hand, but as the discussion had shaken the very foundations of all of his beliefs, he probably held himself guilty now. They had been holding hands since Helgen's destruction, after all. "How!?"

Lucy shook her head and sighed. "No, I'm not with a child. Damn it…" she muttered, and visible relief crossed Natsu's face. "I can't be. It's just that… I haven't been eating enough while we've been travelling. Too little food, too much walking, that's probably why they're missing."

Her words only stirred his confusion. "So you're telling me that if you are well-fed, you also bleed each month? What the fuck… What the actual fuck…"

"Exactly, you silly boy," Juvia told. "Bleeding is a sign of fertility. When the food is scarce, having a child could be fatal, so with the wisdom of Lady Mara, our bodies spare our seed for better times. That's why most children are born in spring or summer. The time of the harvest is when most seeds quicken, you see."

Natsu peeked at the blue-haired woman from between his fingers. "I don't understand what you're talking about, but okay."

"Did you grow in a barrel, Halfling?" Gajeel asked, having recovered from his uncontrollable laughter.

"No, I grew up with a Dunmer," Natsu answered.

"Oh, that explains a lot," the vampire chuckled. "But well, now you know what a moon time means."

"Kynareth save me…"

"Kynareth won't save you, lad. We vampires originate from Molag Bal. You too, Halfling. Better pray to him instead when the bloodlust really kicks in, ha!"

Natsu cursed into his palms, and Lucy preferred to remain unaware of what was going on inside his mind at the moment. At least these thoughts would keep him occupied for the rest of the evening, fully distracted from the crime Lucy was about to commit. Soon, it would be the time, but the hardest part of the plan was still yet to be done – she had to convince Natsu to let her be alone for a moment.

On Gajeel's lead, the conversation shifted from moon times to some recent break-ins that happened in the city. Loke and Haming participated in the discussion from their table, Juvia commented fully irrelevant things, but Natsu and Lucy remained silent. Natsu kept nervously glancing to the door every time a soldier came in or out, but Gildarts still didn't arrive. The older mage had probably decided to pass through a brothel on his way, and actually, he could stay there for a moment longer. Gildarts's absence was the missing piece Lucy needed to fulfil her plans.

And so, Lucy leaned on Natsu's side.

"Hey, I… I'm really tired, so I think I'll go sleep early," she whispered. "Could you wait for Gildarts and hear what he got to say, then fill me in later?"

"You sure about that?" Natsu asked. There was much more he wanted to say, but in front of everyone, he didn't dare. 'You don't want me to come to sleep with you?' he meant, for they never went to bed apart.

"Yeah. He wanted to speak with you, not with me. You should wait for him."

He looked at her in silence, his brows furrowed. "It might take him a while…"

"I'll be fine. Gajeel and the others can keep you company meanwhile, but I can't keep my eyes open anymore," Lucy said to him, a bit louder this time, catching Loke's attention. The ginger-haired man gazed at her, knowing she was about to make her move now. "It's going to be a long day tomorrow, and…"

"Yeah, yeah, okay," Natsu agreed, still reluctantly. "Go to sleep if you're tired, I'll wait for Gildarts, but I'll come open the door for you, okay?"

Lucy nodded, smiling at him. They had only one key into their room, and usually, Natsu kept that. Before she could say anything, Gajeel let out a burst of roaring laughter. "Ah, now I get it. The Maiden excuses herself because she expects you to –"

"Shut up, man. Let her sleep, she needs it."

"Yeah, because you don't let her?" Loke commented, grinning.

"And you better mind your own goddamn business," Natsu said as he rose from the table with Lucy. He caught her left hand and gently dragged her out of the tavern. The tension between him and Loke was like a string on the verge of snapping, perfect for Lucy's plan.

They didn't say anything as they walked up the stairs. The chamber they had slept in for the past few nights was on the second floor, right next to the stairway. Natsu pulled the key from the pocket of his robes, opened the heavy wooden door, but then he froze as Lucy stepped in. She turned around, facing him, knowing he didn't want to be left alone. But this time, he had to be. Perhaps she would explain him afterwards, but not now.

"Is everything alright, Lucy? Are you… feeling sick or something?" he asked quietly. "Did I… Did I say something wrong?"

Lucy shook her head and stroked his cheek. The candles they had lit a earlier were still burning in their chamber, their soft light falling on his face. "Don't worry, I'm okay. Just tired," she said. "You know, if we go to sleep at the same time, we will not be sleeping in a while."

Natsu leant into her palm, nodding faintly. He couldn't argue against that. Talking and laughing – or making out, as talking sometimes led to it – into the wee hours of the night wasn't a good idea if they had to leave at dawn. "Do you want to keep the key, or…"

"Go ahead, lock the door from the outside. That's the safest. I'll pick the lock if I need to get out."

If Natsu thought she was in their chamber, sleeping tightly and safely behind locked doors, he would have no suspicions. However, the windows were all but locked – and thankfully, an old oak grew right next to the building, perfect for climbing in and out.

"Yeah, I thought so too," Natsu said and chuckled. "Damn it, you didn't even need me to open this door for you, right?"

Lucy stepped closer to him. "Indeed. I got this from Loke," she said and showed her wrist to him. "It's enchanted. Turns lockpicking into a dance."

"What a fitting gift from a thief. That's what he wanted to talk to you about?"

"He wanted to apologize before we go. Part at better terms. Guess he finally realised I'm not interested in becoming his little wifeling," Lucy answered. "And I'm glad. We've been friends since the cradle, after all, and I don't want to lose that."

Suddenly, Natsu grew grim. Hurt, almost. Quiet. He looked down to his feet, and it was easy for Lucy to figure out what he was feeling: jealousy. It was something he couldn't put his finger on, something he wasn't familiar with, and he didn't know what to do. In a certain way, it was adorable, but Lucy knew how he struggled with these emotions he had believed he'd never even have. He tried to say something to her, but words failed him, leaving him in silence.

So, knowing he wouldn't move from this frozen state on his own, Lucy moved her hand down from his cheek, placed it on his neck and pulled him closer into a silent embrace. She pressed her face against his chest, heard the anger in his heartbeat calming down. He was still unsure about everything, she knew, torn between wanting her comfort and believing it was wrong to want so, and for that reason, Lucy had decided to give him time, give him space to sort out his feelings. She hadn't even kissed him in two days now – she wanted to see how long it would take for him to gather up that courage and do it first.

Lucy pulled herself away from him, lifted up her chin and gazed into his eyes. "Good night, Natsu."

He looked at her in hesitation, but then his hold around her loosened. Lucy smirked. For a brief moment, he had considered kissing her, but he fell back from it, as he always did. "Sleep well, Lucy. I'll be downstairs if you need me, okay?"

Lucy leaned to the doorframe and watched him turn his back, then she closed the door. The silence lingered for a moment, as if Natsu was fighting against himself, but eventually, he chose to lock the door and walk away.

Lucy listened as his footsteps faded, and when he was surely gone, she picked her cloak from the hook and flung it onto her shoulders. She fastened the brooch on the neckline, braced herself, and walked straight to the window.

From the dim glass, she saw her reflection once again – and she could barely recognise herself.

She took in a deep breath, then another as she placed her hand on the windowpane. Iron hooks kept it locked, similar to the ones she had already opened in Grelod's quarters earlier this day. The wooden frames had swollen from the moisture, so even if the locks were open, they wouldn't swing in the slightest wind. They had to be pushed open, and that was Lucy's good fortune. So, still slightly hesitating – and not knowing what for, she had already made her decision – she opened the hooks.

And suddenly, it felt like everything could go wrong.

A part of her, a small and dying one, screamed at her to stop this insanity. No matter how terrible the headmistress was, she couldn't kill her. She couldn't bring herself to do it. Lucy glanced past her shoulder to the bed in the middle of the chamber, the books she had piled on the nightstand, and knew she could still back off from this. She could just go to sleep. There was still wax left in the candles. She could lay down, pick up a book and read until she'd fall asleep or Natsu would come to bed, too. In the end, there was no guarantee she could make it back before he'd call it a day.

Just what would he do if he'd find her gone?

Would he be enraged if he'd know what she'd done?

"He'll understand," Lucy muttered to her reflection, gazing into her darkened eyes. The children of Honorhall were hurting. For generations, Grelod had abused them, and Lucy had to put that to an end. "He's got to understand."

She was doing this for the sake of the orphans. For the sake of Aventus, for the sake of Romeo, for the sake of all the children who'd lost their parents and now had to suffer in the hands of the cruel old crone. She would do this for Gray, for Juvia, for all those who never found justice for the pain they had to endure. She would finally be the one to deliver it. She alone had the power, only she held the control.

And so, Lucy swallowed her hesitation. She blew out the candles, then she pushed the window open and slipped outside. She climbed on the tree branch and closed the window before her, then she vanished into the dark of the night, the air as gloomy and cold as the grave.


On his way back to the tavern, Natsu couldn't shake off the feeling that something was wrong.

There wasn't anything new in the anxiety that filled his mind, but tonight, it was overflowing. He had stopped a few times in the stairway, and when he reached the entry hall of the tavern, he simply froze on his steps. He didn't want to be here. Somehow, he knew he should've stayed with Lucy. Gildarts would just as well come to knock at their door. He probably didn't even have anything important to say. Just the same rambling about travel routes and dragon lairs on the way that needed to be cleared, none of it mattered to Natsu right now.

'She's safe,' Natsu thought by himself, trying to cast away the distress in his mind. He grit his teeth, squeezed his eyes shut, clenched his fingers into fists. 'She's just tired, she needs to sleep. The door's locked. Nothing bad will happen. She's safe. Calm down, Natsu, calm down now, for fuck's sake!'

Ever since they arrived at Riften, Natsu hadn't let her out of his sight, except for the morning at The Ragged Flagon when she had woken up before him. In a city full of burglars and rapists and murderers, he didn't want Lucy to be alone, unguarded. She was strong, of course, Natsu didn't doubt her strength, but it took only a blink of an eye for a blade in the dark to slit a throat open. There were a thousand ways one could get killed in Riften, a thousand pointless reasons, but that wasn't what Natsu feared the most. There were dangers even greater than that.

Now, it was Lucy herself.

When they had left the orphanage, they had gone for a little walk around the city. They had found a silent alley in the upper level with a sight to the lake, the glimmering water spreading in the horizon as wide as the eye could see. There Lucy had told him what she had done to the headmistress. As Natsu had presumed, Lucy had broken Grelod's mind with magic, and that terrified him. Lucy wasn't ready to behold such dangerous magic, not nearly.

Where had she learnt spells like that? The power to manipulate the minds of others wasn't easy to achieve. It took years, if not decades of dedicated practise to master the school of Illusion to the point where one could alter one's thoughts permanently. At the same time, one would have to constantly protect their own mind, raise mental defences, for manipulation of minds worked as an opposing force – when you took away someone's humanity, you could lose your own as well.

Perhaps – Natsu put his fading hope on maybes and perhaps' – Lucy hadn't done permanent damage on Grelod's mind. She wasn't supposed to be able to do that anyway, which meant she was safe from the dangerous side effects. For the rest of the day, she had been her regular self, maybe a bit more silent than usual. Tired, but okay, as she said it herself. Natsu had to believe that, force himself to trust in Lucy, let her be on her own for a while. She would be safe, and she wanted him to believe that. Believe in her. Rushing back to their bedchamber would just violate that trust. Natsu would never want to do that.

'It's just my damn mind making things worse than they actually are,' Natsu assured himself and took a deep breath. 'It always fucking is.'

The soldiers on the other side of the tavern had grown more silent now, as their tales had been told and their songs had been sung. The bard, a young Nord man, sat in front of the hearth and played some soothing melodies. For a brief moment, Natsu considered taking a seat next to him, to remind himself how he and Zeref had been sitting by the fire as kids. Back in those days, Zeref used to play his lute in the evenings. Natsu recalled falling asleep gazing into the flames, listening to those wistful songs his brother had played. Zeref had then carried his scrawny little brother to the bed.

Though Natsu could only remember feeling so bad when the present time had been passing by, he longed for it now. Those were the times when the worst thing he knew was his mother not letting him play with fire, and his father's anger outbursts had been the only things he had feared. When Zeref had still been at home, everything had been alright. He had been truly happy. Looking back to those early years of his childhood, to the flashes he still recalled, he realised that the best and worst times of his life coincided.

Maybe it was always like that. There was comfort in longing for something that was gone forever - it showed how much that something meant when it was still here. Maybe this day, this terrible dread that welled within his guts, would fade in time, when all he could do was to reminiscence and feel the opposite of anticipation.

So, listening to the bard's melodies across the distance, Natsu pulled himself back to the present moment. He walked back to the table he had been sitting at, to the company of those he didn't want to be with. Juvia had gone to talk with the innkeeper, so only men remained at the table. When he took a seat, the vampire – the only one he somehow tolerated – turned his gleaming red eyes to him.

"Damn it, Halfling, what you told me about Morthal, that…" Gajeel started. "That makes me ashamed of being a vampire. Trying to enslave an entire town, using the people like cattle and hiding into their houses during the daytime? Movarth, you nasty piece of shit. I hope your friends there sent him to the Void."

Natsu shrugged. "I haven't heard what happened there after we left. Gray and his brother gathered the townsfolk to track down Movarth and kill him, slaughter his entire clan, but I don't know how the plan succeeded."

"I would've happily joined them," Gajeel told. "That kind of incident just deepens the hatred between mortals and vampires. They make us look like monsters."

"So, everyone should be like you, Gajeel?" Loke asked, snickering into his mead cup.

"Yeah, every vampire should be like me. Damn it, I guess I've gotta start my own cult, then!"

Haming chuckled. "A cult where sex is traded for blood? How great."

"Exactly. Make love, not war. That'll be the motto of my vampire cult," Gajeel laughed and turned to Natsu. "Halfling, will you by my right-hand man?"

"Sorry, I think I'll pass on this one…" Natsu muttered, rubbing his temples. His head was beginning to pound, and this conversation wasn't helping with it.

"Anyway, what about female vampires?" Loke asked from the vampire. "What will they do to earn their meals, following your philosophy?"

Gajeel smirked. "Double sucking. Cock first, then blood. Mortal men can't resist some grave-cold lips."

"Gods," Haming sighed, laughing. "Wouldn't that feel the same as having your cock sucked by a fucking corpse? Shit, why did I even think about that…"

"What, are you getting hard, my brother?"

From there on, Natsu didn't want to listen. He'd sink through the floor if he only could, disappear, evaporate into thin air. While the others would jest about profanities, he shut himself out of it completely. Just a moment ago, all until Lucy declared she'd go to sleep without him, his mood had been a lot brighter. He could've probably laughed at those things – Igneel's jokes had been on the same level – but now, he couldn't.

So, as the bard kept tirelessly playing his lute on the other side of the tavern, Natsu focused on the melodies and waited, missing her more at every passing moment. The topics of the conversations around him changed, but he ignored them all. He stared at his empty mead cup, unwilling to refill it, glanced to the door every now and then, but Gildarts still didn't arrive. As the wait stretched on, Natsu was sure the old mage wouldn't come at all.

Gildarts must've forgotten about their meeting, Natsu was sure of it. He could just go back to Lucy, for he missed her so much it hurt. She must've fallen asleep already, and he'd do anything to just settle snug against her warm, soft body and let her steady heartbeat lull him to sleep. He couldn't fall asleep without her, but apparently, Lucy didn't feel the same about him. Upon this realization, a sudden sadness struck his heart like a frozen blade.

He needed her more than she needed him.

"Guess what, guys? Back in Helgen, I used to tell girls that vampires only drink the blood of virgins," Haming said. The mention of Lucy's hometown caught Natsu's attention, and in fact, he remembered her telling him this story, so he listened. "So, thinking they'd be protected from vampires, they happily gave their virginities to me. Damn. I miss those times."

"You tried the same trick on Lucy too, asshole, but she was too smart to fall into that trap," Loke said to his brother. "Besides, Lucy's father would've ended your miserable life if you would've even touched her, fool."

Haming chuckled. "Yes, but first he would've chopped off my cock and fed it to the goats. The scariest man in Helgen, for sure."

Natsu stared at those two brothers, his sadness suddenly twisting into rage. They had been Lucy's friends, yet they both had tried to get under her skirt. Natsu doubted Loke had pure intentions with giving her that bracelet. The Nord still looked at her with lust and bitterness in his eyes, as if she was just a thing he had once owned that someone had stolen away. That made Natsu's blood boil. Every man who thought of her as property could go straight to Oblivion.

"Yeah. You're lucky he's dead, wizard," Loke said to the fire mage. "Her father would've skinned you alive if he'd seen those little marks you left on her neck."

Natsu stared at the thief, eyes gleaming with anger. "And what's that any good of? She'd be a lot happier if her parents hadn't died."

Loke turned towards him and took a long gulp from his mead cup, then slammed it to the table. "Aren't you making her happy, then? Because I sure would."

His head was ringing now, his patience running thin. He had waited long enough. Gildarts would run his errands the whole night all he cared, but Natsu couldn't take it anymore. If he couldn't get to Lucy right now, his head would explode, either from the pain or the rage. Only she could take them away.

"You're a fucking thief," Natsu growled and rose from the table. "But guess what, I don't care. Goodbye, fellas, I'm out."

Loke stood up to block Natsu's way. "And what are you? An arsonist?"

Natsu rolled his eyes, sighing in frustration. "Man, what's your point? Come on, fuck off. I'm too tired for this."

"My point is that I want to be sure that Lucy is in good hands from here on," Loke said, leant his arm to the wall. "She's a wonderful woman. Beautiful, intelligent, funny. Perfect. She deserves the best, nothing less."

"And you think you're the best for her, huh?" Natsu asked, mockery in his voice.

"She had feelings for me, for sure. Maybe she still has," Loke answered, grinning. "She was very happy about the little gift I got her. I told her she's welcome in Riften anytime. She'll come back to me sooner than you'll even notice."

Natsu glared at him in silence. He didn't know why, but Loke was stepping on his toes on purpose. The Nord was asking for a bloodied nose, and that could be arranged.

"Do you have a death wish, gingerhead?" Gajeel commented from the background, glancing at Loke. "Because to me, it looks like you're very fast arranging yourself into an early grave."

"I'm just making it clear where I stand," Loke said and turned back to Natsu. "I've known her a lot longer than you, mageling. I grew up with her. For years, we were always together. Inseparable. And now you think you can just come and take her away from me? That I'd just let her go and be fine with losing my Luce?"

Natsu closed his eyes and took a deep breath, clenching his hands into fists. Rage rushed into his head, he could feel it. "She's not yours," he muttered quietly. "Stop this nonsense."

Loke smirked. "What did you say? All I heard was the sound of jealousy. I'm sorry, but that fiery lass is mine, she just doesn't know it yet. I'll conquer her as a true Nord conquers any harsh beast!"

"Shut your mouth, idiot," Haming shouted to his brother and poked his side with his wooden crutch. "A Nord also knows better than to stick his head into a hornet's nest."

"And a Nord would stick his head into a hornet's nest if it meant gaining the favour of their lady! No matter what, I will win her back for me. On my honour, I can't let her be married off to some half-blooded elf who –"

"Leave. Her. Alone," Natsu growled to him. "Or else –"

"I don't have to take that from you. If it's a fight you want, it's a fight you'll get!"

At that moment, his nerves finally snapped. Natsu marched to the Nord, caught him from the neckline of his shirt, pulled him up and tossed him to the floor, the nearby chairs clanking from the collision. The eyes of the entire tavern turned at them. The soldiers began to cheer – brawls were the best entertainment for them, after all.

"Listen, idiot!" Natsu shouted to Loke. The Nord had hit his forehead to the floor, but he just laughed and wiped the blood from his face, cranking himself back to his feet. "I won't hear one more filthy word from your mouth, or this gets worse, get it?"

"You just won't get it. She's mine. Do I have to beat that into your head?" Loke answered and cracked his knuckles. "Guess it's time to solve this in the old Nordic way. Man to man, one on one, and the victor claims the maiden's hand!"

"You know what? I've already won. I don't have to fight over her heart, you goddamn moron. Go fuck yourself, Loke."

Loke grinned, and Natsu swore that if he'd open his mouth once more, he'd lose his calm completely – and he wouldn't stick to his fists. A split second it took to cast a spark and set a man on fire, one clouded judgement he knew he'd come to regret. Anger boiled in his veins, scorching hot, and far too often he had let his anger decide for him. This time, he wouldn't. Though his fingers ached to reach for the daggers draped in his ankles, he just clenched his nails into his palms. If it came to that, stabbing a man to the guts was better than burning him alive.

Natsu stared at Loke, hoping his murderous glare was enough to make him back off – but it wasn't. Loke began his charge, and Natsu crouched, his hand placed on the hilt of his steel dagger when suddenly, everything came to a stop.

A blast of the horn shuddered through the silent city, faint and distant.

Loke stopped midstep, swallowing his curse. Natsu froze, listening closely to the commotion that echoed from the outside, quietly seeping past the inn's wooden walls. That was a guard's horn, a sound he had come to recognise during their stay in Riften. A single blast of the horn meant a call for aid, usually for handling a burglary. If Lucy had been sleeping already, then she wasn't anymore. Those damn calls always woke half the city.

Natsu and Loke stared at each other, the angered tension between them suddenly gone. Loke waited, perfectly still. As a thief, he must know that when the horns were sounded, it was best to crawl back into his hiding place. Natsu let go of the hilt of his dagger, straightened his back, ready to let this stupid quarrel be. They'd just end up hurting each other far more than was needed for a bar brawl, and that wasn't what Lucy would've wanted.

But before the sound died away, it came again, louder and longer.

"For fuck's sake," Haming muttered, gathering his crutches. "Another bandit raid at the gates?"

Now, the noise from the streets grew. Guards ran past the inn, their steel boots clattering on cobbled stones. The drunken soldiers on the other side of the hall got alert, wide awake so suddenly, for two blasts was a signal they recognised very well. When there was a disturbance at the gates, the horns were sounded two times. Foes approaching the city, something that required major assistance from the guards.

Natsu's heart began to race within his chest, and his quarrel with Loke was quickly forgotten. Even if the guards would handle the threat on their own, he had to get to Lucy, right now. They just couldn't be apart from each other in case the city would fall into chaos.

Then, the horn was blown for the third time.

The sound went on and on, growing ever louder as if it would never die. In that instant, the soldiers rose from the table. 'Imperials!' they shouted, gathering their weapons and putting on their helmets. 'They've come across the border straight from Cyrodiil!' But there were no sounds of the soldiers, no drums of war, only eerie silence behind the endless blast of the mournful horn. Natsu and Loke exchanged a terrified glance, as in that moment, perhaps by some premonition, they both know that it wasn't an Imperial retaliation.

The soldiers hurried to the streets, noise carrying into the tavern through the doors flung open. Guards were running to the northern gate, shouting something about archers and battlemages. And ominous dread clasped Natsu's throat like an ice-cold iron chain. Three blasts of the horn meant war – or something as equally threatening. The atmosphere in the tavern twisted into as dark as the night, each soul waiting for the worst, frozen in the initial shock and disbelief.

And as the bells began tolling in the towers of Mistveil Keep, dull and hollow, Natsu heard it, buried underneath the steady rhythm of the bells, yet still clear and unmistakable.

The roar of a dragon.

It echoed in the distance, the ancient voice of the mighty beast, and shivers ran across Natsu's spine, sharp like razor blades. For a second, he tried to convince himself he'd been hearing things, but the hope shattered when he glanced into Loke's eyes. Despair danced in his bleak gaze as he stared into nothingness. The Nord had heard it too, he knew what a dragon sounded like – and he knew what it meant for a city.

Slowly, Natsu shook his head, muttering curses. 'This can't be happening,' he thought, the shards of broken hope cutting his heart – fear had never felt so painful. 'This just can't be happening, not now, not here!'

But it was.

When the dragon roared again, this time closer, louder, Natsu was finally released from the frozen state. Acting upon his first instinct, he turned on his heels and sprinted straight to the stairway, climbed up in the darkness, fumbled for the key in his pocket as the bells tolled and horns blasted in a deafening choir. His hands trembled like thin branches in a wind, he cursed as he thrust the key into the lock and turned it open, stepping into the dark room, shouting her name.

"Lucy!"

There was no answer, for the chamber was empty.

He blinked and wiped his eyes, but the room was still empty. Air got stuck in his throat, refusing to move past a lump of dread he was suffocating into. There wasn't anyone in the bed, no one sitting on the windowsill, no one organizing books on the nightstand. He looked into the closet and under the bed, but she wasn't there either. Only a faint hint of her scent lingered in the heavy, dusty air, yet he still called for her again.

"Where are you, Lucy!?"

Natsu stood up, glanced at his own reflection from the darkened window, his face as pale as a ghost's. His heart skipped a beat as he noticed that the hooks on the wooden frames were open. He knew that Lucy wasn't in Bee and Barb anymore, probably hadn't been in a while. He'd thought she was safe behind locked doors, but in his naïve childlike trust, he had forgotten the damned window. Had she left on her own will, or had she been taken? Captured? If so, by whom?

The whole building shook as the dragon roared like thunder, still in the distance, still too damn close. A red light flashed in the darkness outside the window, the first flame, and then Natsu heard the screams. The bells had awakened the entire Riften, people now rushing to the streets to see what was happening, only to be engulfed in dragonfire a moment later – and Lucy could be anywhere out there, and Natsu realised he had just made the greatest mistake of his entire life.

Panic spreading inside of him like wildfire, Natsu turned and ran down the stairs, only one thought occupying his mind. 'I have to find Lucy, I have to find Lucy!' Like a chant, he repeated the words as if his life depended on them. Lost in this goal, his vision blurred and he bumped onto something when he rushed to the inn's doors. Natsu restored his balance, seeing a tall man that stood before him.

"Natsu!" shouted Gildarts with sharp, drained urgency in his voice, as if he'd been running for a long while. Late as ever, damned old man. "There's a dragon sighted near the northern district of the city! Now's your time to –"

"I'M NOT A FUCKING DRAGONBORN!"

Upon Natsu's shout, all colour faded from the old mage's face. Fiercely, Natsu stared into his eyes, saw the devastation in them, but failed to feel anything. Gildarts was bound to find out the truth sooner or later that Natsu wasn't the Dragonborn, the one to save the world from the dragons' wrath. Only Lucy had the power to slay the dragon, and without her, they were all doomed.

"You're… what?" Gildarts muttered.

"Out of my way, I've gotta find Lucy!"

"Is… she…?"

"She's fucking gone!"

Natsu rushed past the mage into the cool darkness of the night, turned his head towards the screams coming from the north. A draft of air carried the noise to him, the roars of the beast and the dying wails of men – and from this distance, Natsu saw the houses lit on fire like a great funeral pyre. The fire dyed the night with an orange hue, columns of black smoke veiling the walls, sparkles rising skywards like stars. Massive wingstrikes pushed the flames forward, they spread from roof to roof, and then the dragon took flight overneat the burning gates.

The red-scaled dragon roared once more, its monstrous shape contrasting against the burning sky as it flew over the city, as if searching for something, someone. Panicked masses of screaming people ran past Natsu, but he stood there frozen, utter devastation taking over him as he realised that the dragon was looking for Lucy, too.

And he had to find her first.


A/N: Hi guys! Hope you enjoyed the peace while it lasted, because now, it's gonna be one fucking blast!

So, the events that have finally begun will be the turning point of the whole story. I've been building up to this for a while now. Lucy's change has been one of the most interesting things for me to write, because I love this "how good people turn evil" trope in fiction. In this story, dragons are, by their very nature, evil beings. Lucy has been slowly becoming less of a mortal and more like a dragon. How she'll find a balance with this will be revealed later. But no, Lucy didn't transform into the dragon xD

I had the conclusion with Grelod the Kind decided in chapter 17 already, but I didn't know how she'd actually do it. Now, thanks to this, she's gotten her into one damn bloody mess. I'm super excited to write the next chapters. They are going to be dark and challenging to write, so I'll take my time with them to make sure they'll come up with best possible quality. If I can surpass the Battle for Whiterun in epicness, then I'll be content.

The song in the beginning was "Age of Oppression" from Skyrim, and later I quoted "Ghosts of the Summer's Past" by Woods of Ypres with Natsu reminiscing about his past. Loke giving the key-shaped golden bracelet was straight reference to Fairy Tail :)

So, I hope you're all doing well! Thank you so much for all the support!

Next up: The City Must Survive